Sulphur Source-Inspired Self-Grown 3D Ni xS y Nanostructures and Their Electrochemical Supercapacitors

Sulfur ion-exchange strategy to obtain Bi2S3 nanostructures from Bi2O3 for better water splitting performance

A two-step simple and efficient ion-exchange chemical strategy is proposed to obtain nanostructured Bi2S3 electrodes of different surface morphologies from the Bi2O3. In the first step, nanoplates of the Bi2O3 are obtained on nickel-foam using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method at room-temperature (25 °C). In the second phase, as-obtained nanoplates of the Bi2O3 are transferred to the Bi2S3 using four autoclaves containing different sulfur precursor solutions at 120 °C for 8 h for phase change, structural conversion and surface morphological modification (i.e., walnuts, network-type, nanowires, and nanoflowers). Due to higher surface area and conductivity, lower charge transfer resistance, and reduced band gap caused by ionic and phase conversion, the Bi2S3 surpasses the Bi2O3 in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities. The overpotential of 112-370 mV for the Bi2S3 network is much lower than that of the nanoplates of the Bi2O3 (275-543 mV), and walnuts (134-464 mV), nanowires (125-500 mV), and nanoflowers (194-520 mV) of the Bi2S3. The Bi2S3 network-type Bi2S3 electrode shows considerable chemical stability through cycling measurement, suggesting the importance of the present study in obtaining metal sulfides from metal oxide with better water splitting activities.

Surface charge induced self-assembled nest-like Ni3S2/PNG composites for high-performance supercapacitors

The paper presents a self-assembly approach to synthesize Ni3S2/N, P co-doped graphene (PNG) composite electrode materials for supercapacitors with high energy storage performance and structural stability. Innovatively, the self-assembly approach is induced via the surface charge effect utilizing a two-step hydrothermal method. The doping of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) atoms regulates the surface charge distribution on graphene nanosheets. Therefore, in the synthesized Ni3S2/PNG heterostructures, Ni3S2 nanowires are interwoven into nests and uniformly attached to PNG. The design of the electrode materials with such a special structure not only supports each other to improve the stability of the materials but also facilitates the rapid diffusion of electrolyte ions. Based on the advantages of composition and structure, Ni3S2/PNG has a high specific capacitance of 1117C g-1 at a current density of 1 A/g and excellent rate performance. The asymmetric supercapacitors (ASC) assembled with Ni3S2/PNG and PNG as positive and negative materials respectively have a high energy density of 62 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 158 W kg-1.

Bi Nanosheets on Porous Carbon Cloth Composites for Ultrastable Flexible Nickel-Bismuth Batteries

The use of bismuth (Bi) as an anode material in nickel-metal batteries has gained significant attention due to its highly reversible redox reaction and suitable operating conditions. However, the cycling stability and flexibility of nickel-bismuth (Ni//Bi) batteries need to be further improved. This paper employs a facile electrodeposition technique to prepare Bi nanosheets uniformly grown on a porous carbon cloth (PCC), denoted as Bi-PCC electrodes. The Bi-PCC electrode portrays a specific surface area and good wettability that enable fast charge transfer and ion transport channels. Consequently, the Bi-PCC electrode demonstrates a high specific capacity of up to 297.1 mAh g^-1 at 2 A g^-1, with a capacity retention of up to 71.5% at 2-40 A g^-1 and an impressive capacity retention of 79.9% after 1000 cycles at 2-40 A g^-1. More importantly, the flexible rechargeable Ni//Bi battery (denoted as Ni(OH)₂-PCC//Bi-PCC) with Bi-PCC as the anode and Ni(OH)₂-PCC as the cathode has excellent electrochemical performance. The Ni(OH)₂-PCC//Bi-PCC battery boasts a remarkable capacity retention of 93.6% after 3000 cycles at 10 A g^-1. Further, the cell presents a maximum energy density of 73.1 Wh kg^-1 and an impressive power density of 11.9 kW kg^-1.

Facile In Situ Synthesis of Co(OH)2-Ni3S2 Nanowires on Ni Foam for Use in High-Energy-Density Supercapacitors

Ni3S2 nanowires were synthesized in situ using a one-pot hydrothermal reaction on Ni foam (NF) for use in supercapacitors as a positive electrode, and various contents (0.3-0.6 mmol) of Co(OH)2 shells were coated onto the surfaces of the Ni3S2 nanowire cores to improve the electrochemical properties. The Ni3S2 nanowires were uniformly formed on the smooth NF surface, and the Co(OH)2 shell was formed on the Ni3S2 nanowire surface. By direct NF participation as a reactant without adding any other Ni source, Ni3S2 was formed more closely to the NF surface, and the Co(OH)2 shell suppressed the loss of active material during charging-discharging, yielding excellent electrochemical properties. The Co(OH)2-Ni3S2/Ni electrode produced using 0.5 mmol Co(OH)2 (Co0.5-Ni3S2/Ni) exhibited a high specific capacitance of 1837 F g-1 (16.07 F cm-2) at a current density of 5 mA cm-2, and maintained a capacitance of 583 F g-1 (16.07 F cm-2) at a much higher current density of 50 mA cm-2. An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) with Co(OH)2-Ni3S2 and active carbon displayed a high-power density of 1036 kW kg-1 at an energy density of 43 W h kg-1 with good cycling stability, indicating its suitability for use in energy storage applications. Thus, the newly developed core-shell structure, Co(OH)2-Ni3S2, was shown to be efficient at improving the electrochemical performance.

Recasting Ni-foam into NiF2 nanorod arrays via a hydrothermal process for hydrogen evolution reaction application

A promising electrode for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been prepared via a reduction process to form NiF2 nanorod arrays directly grown on a 3D nickel foam. We reveal NiF2@Ni nanorod arrays for a stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) application. The computational analysis for H2O, OH and H and experimentally in aqueous KOH endow considerable shift in Fermi levels for Ni (111) unlike for NiF2 (110) on account of an effective coalition of p-orbitals of fluorine and d-orbitals of Ni in NiF2, NiF2 under pinning the reduced overpotential of 172 mV at 10 mA cm-2 compared to Ni (242 mV) in same electrolyte. The electrocatalytic mechanism has been proposed using density functional theory (DFT) and is found in well accordance with the experimental findings of the present study. The preparation of self-grown porous nanostructured electrodes on the 3D nickel foam via a displacement reaction is possibly valuable for other metal halides for energy storage and conversion applications as these materials have inherently smaller overpotentials.

Design and Integration of a Layered MoS2/GaN van der Waals Heterostructure for Wide Spectral Detection and Enhanced Photoresponse

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) as a typical two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenide exhibits great potential applications for the next-generation nanoelectronics such as photodetectors. However, most MoS₂-based photodetectors hold obvious disadvantages including a narrow spectral response in the visible region, poor photoresponsivity, and slow response speed. Here, for the first time, we report the design of a two-dimensional MoS₂/GaN van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructure photodetector consisting of few-layer p-type MoS₂ and very thin n-type GaN flakes. Thanks to the good crystal quality of the 2D-GaN flake and the built-in electric field in the interface depletion region of the MoS₂/GaN p-n junction, photogenerated carriers can be rapidly separated and more excitons are collected by electrodes toward the high photoresponsivity of 328 A/W and a fast response time of 400 ms under the illumination of 532 nm light, which is seven times faster than pristine MoS₂ flake. Additionally, the response spectrum of the photodetector is also broadened to the UV region with a high photoresponsivity of 27.1 A/W and a fast response time of 300 ms after integrating with the 2D-GaN flake, exhibiting an advantageous synergetic effect. These excellent performances render MoS₂/GaN vdWs heterostructure photodetectors as promising and competitive candidates for next-generation optoelectronic devices.

Room-temperature chemical synthesis of 3-D dandelion-type nickel chloride (NiCl2@NiF) supercapattery nanostructured materials

A simple, room-temperature operable, glycerol-supported single beaker-inspired, and binder-free soft-chemical protocol has been developed to synthesize 3-D dandelion flower-type nickel chloride (NiCl₂) supercapattery (supercapacitor + battery) nanostructured electrode material from solid 3-D nickel-foam (NiF). The dandelion flower-type NiCl₂@NiF labeled as B electrode, demonstrates a battery-type electrochemical performance as obtained 1551 F·g^-1 specific capacitance (SC) and 95% cyclability over 50,000 cycles is higher than that of a setaria viridis-type NiCl₂@NiF electrode, prepared without glycerol labeled as A electrode. As a commercial market product, assembled NiCl₂@NiF@ (cathode)// BiMoO₃ (anode) pouch-type asymmetric supercapacitor energy storage device demonstrates moderate energy density and power density (28 Wh·kg^-1 and 845 W·kg^-1). By utilizing three devices in series, three different colored LEDs can be operated at full brightness. The as-proposed low temperature protocol impeccably effective and efficient on account of the low-cost, easy synthesis methodology for scalability, and high crytallinity as well as solvent-free and non-toxic as pyrolated gases were used while synthesis processing.

NiF2 Nanorod Arrays for Supercapattery Applications

A electrode for energy storage cells is possible directly on Ni foam, using a simple reduction process to form NiF2 nanorod arrays (NA). We demonstrate NiF2@Ni NA for a symmetric electrochemical supercapattery electrode. With an areal specific capacitance of 51 F cm-2 at 0.25 mA cm-2 current density and 94% cycling stability, a NiF2@Ni electrode can exhibit supercapattery behavior, a combination of supercapacitor and battery-like redox. The symmetric electrochemical supercapattery delivers 31 W h m-2 energy density and 797 W m-2 power density with 83% retention in a 1 M KOH electrolyte, constituting a step toward manufacturing a laboratory-scale energy storage device based on metal halides. Producing self-grown hierarchically porous nanostructured electrodes on three-dimensional metal foams by displacement reactions may be useful for other metal halides as electrodes for supercapacitors, supercapatteries, and lithium-ion batteries.

Controllable Synthesis of Three-Dimensional β-NiS Nanostructured Assembly for Hybrid-Type Asymmetric Supercapacitors

The process of energy storage in supercapacitors via the surface reaction of the electrode can lead to a significant perfecting of the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors, for developing the morphologies of materials and increasing the specific surface areas of the electrodes. Three-dimensional nickel sulfide (NiS) superstructures with nanomorphologies, viz. coral-like, urchin-like, flake-like, and flower-like, are synthesized through simple solvothermal methods, without any template. The nanostructured flower-like β-NiS demonstrates, not only a remarkable specific capacitance of 2425.89 F·g⁻¹ at the current densities of 1 A·g⁻¹, but also an excellent cycling stability of approximately 100% (at the current density of 10 A·g⁻¹ over 5000 cycles). Moreover, the hybrid-type asymmetric supercapacitor, constructed from the flower-like β-NiS positive electrode and active carbon negative electrode, exhibits an energy density of 42.12 Wh·kg⁻¹ at a power density of 28.8 kW·kg⁻¹.

Facile Chemical Synthesis and Potential Supercapattery Energy Storage Application of Hydrangea-type Bi2MoO6

Soft chemical synthesis is used to obtain a hydrangea-type bismuth molybdate (Bi2MoO6) supercapattery electrode that demonstrates considerable energy/power density and cycling life. Structure and morphology studies, initially, reveal a phase-pure polycrystalline and hydrangea-type surface appearance for Bi2MoO6, which upon testing in an electrochemical energy storage system displays supercapattery behavior, a combination of a supercapacitor and a battery. From the power law, an applied-potential-dependent charge storage mechanism is established for the Bi2MoO6 electrode material. A Trasatti plot evidences the presence of inner and outer surface charges. The hydrangea-type Bi2MoO6 electrode demonstrates a specific capacitance of 485 F g-1 at 5 A g-1 and a stability of 82% over 5000 cycles. An assembled symmetric supercapattery with a Bi2MoO6//Bi2MoO6 configuration demonstrates energy and power densities of 45.6 W h kg-1 and 989 W kg-1, respectively. A demonstration elucidating the lighting up of three light-emitting diodes, connected in series, by the symmetric supercapattery signifies the practical potentiality of the as-synthesized hydrangea-type Bi2MoO6 electrode in energy storage devices.

Electrocatalytic Water Splitting through the Ni x S y Self-Grown Superstructures Obtained via a Wet Chemical Sulfurization Process

We report water-splitting application of chemically stable self-grown nickel sulfide (Ni _x S _y ) electrocatalysts of different nanostructures including rods, flakes, buds, petals, etc., synthesized by a hydrothermal method on a three-dimensional Ni foam (NiF) in the presence of different sulfur-ion precursors, e.g., thioacetamide, sodium thiosulfate, thiourea, and sodium sulfide. The S^2- ions are produced after decomposition from respective sulfur precursors, which, in general, react with oxidized Ni²⁺ ions from the NiF at optimized temperatures and pressures, forming the Ni _x S _y superstructures. These Ni _x S _y electrocatalysts are initially screened for their structure, morphology, phase purity, porosity, and binding energy by means of various sophisticated instrumentation technologies. The as-obtained Ni _x S _y electrocatalyst from sodium thiosulfate endows an overpotential of 200 mV. The oxygen evolution overpotential results of Ni _x S _y electrocatalysts are comparable or superior to those reported previously for other self-grown Ni _x S _y superstructure morphologies.